Abandoned campfires left behind as B.C. wildfire risk rises

With the forest fire danger climbing from “high” to “extreme” in parts of the province, the B.C. Wildfire Service has renewed its warning to make sure campfire ashes are cold before leaving them behind.

Fire wardens had to put out 32 abandoned campfires during the B.C. Day long weekend, as the B.C. Wildfire Service began responding to likely human-caused fires with increasingly dry conditions. Leaving a campfire unattended can result in a ticket for $1,150.

In the Kamloops Fire Centre region, fire risk has gone from moderate to high in some areas, with extreme risk near Lytton, Princeton and parts of the South Okanagan region. Since Aug. 2, the service has responded to five new fires in that region, only two of which were caused by lightning.